The present invention relates to a construction system for providing a load support against substantially horizontal forces, particularly with regard to transportation of goods in containers, trucks etc.
When transporting goods in containers, trucks or other transport situations, it is preferable, or even neck, to ensure that the loaded goods are kept steady during sea or road transportation, especially when there may be powerful sideways movement of the transportation craft, in order to avoid damage of the goods and the environment.
This problem is especially serious in the case of ammunition transport, partially because of the character of the goods and partially because of the ground where such goods often are transported, that is poor roads and terrain.
Until now, stabilization has been achieved by woodwork support. However, there are many disadvantages: large consumption of materials and nails, assembly and disassembly are time consuming, bad flexibility and a large waste problem at the destination end. Also, woodwork is exposed to vermin transfer.
From Norwegian design registration no. 75145, there is known a supporting frame, which is adapted for us in transportation of goods according to these requirements. The known supporting frame is approximately rectangular, that is, mainly a two dimensional frame comprising two beams and two cross beams connecting the beams to each other. Here, the dimensioning acid the application areas are not flexible enough to meet requirements.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,099 (Robertson 1960) it is known to build up horizontal xe2x80x9claddersxe2x80x9d in different levels in a loading room, with the possibility of regulating the positions of the individual supporting cross elements. This solution has several disadvantages, e.g. lack of ability regulate precisely and lack of flexibility to make different supporting devices in different parts of a loading room.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,464 (Shock 1961), it is known to assemble movable supports on the vertical parts of a storing shelf. This proposal is not suitable for containers.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a construction system for load support, intended for use in the transportation of goods, which offers a safe support of goods against the solid parts of the container and/or other types of load supports, containers, vehicles etc. Also powerful shaking and/or influences from mainly horizontal directed displacement forces during the transport must be considered.
Further, it is an object to provide a load support which is flexible, easy to assemble and disassemble, which can be used again and again having low re-usage costs and which in the same way does not cause any pollution.
The versatility is required with regard to both dimensions and in usage. The system has to be adaptable to different ranges in all directions; in height, to adapt the load support to different ceilings under assembly; horizontally, to adapt the load support to different widths of containers or loading rooms and; depth, to provide the essential flexibility, that is to be able to support goods or load occupying different parts of the container or loading room.
The construction system has to be able to resist the horizontal forces or displacements which may occur between the areas of goods/walls supporting each other, and without the risk of damage or even destruction of the load support.
The construction system should be made as a modular system, having simple parts to be fixed set together rapidly and disassembled rapidly as well.
The construction system according to the invention gives, as opposed to known load supports, a mutual support between goods, respectively between the goods and the wall of the container, and respectively the vehicle, on more than two points and thereby practically over a whole surface. The surface is set by the orientation in space of the actual narrow sides and through the length of the poles meant to connect the beams with each other. Accordingly, a safer and more long-lasting support is achieved, compared to known supporting frames.
The invention offers the ability for rapid and versatile configuration of supporting constructions having different dimensions in three directions. A height regulation may be set by different headrooms in containers and loading during assembly. Width regulation may be set according to different cross dimensions and wall structures. And most important is that an adaption to an arbitrary empty room in the length direction may be achieved, either by adjustment of the spreader bars, by using a joint element and/or by placing several load supports after each other.
The system covers most types of loads. It is suitable to fill up almost every empty space in a container etc. All forces are transmitted to the stronger parts of the support. The system can be built up from one beam to numerous beams in a vertical direction, and in three dimensions. This means a function as a wall or as a volume filler. It is the characteristics of the load (weight, number of levels, volume) that sets the parameters for the design of the securing device. In a case where the load requires two levels of support to give a satisfactory securing, there are two levels of supporting beams assembled. In a case where the load requires six supporting levels, there are six levels of supporting beams assembled. The system is extremely versatile, as it is almost steplessly adjustable in width (across the container), and in length (depth of the container) in steps of approximately 20 mm and with the possibility to assemble an extension element and additional supporting frames. Consequently, local construction of load support can be performed with ease, without the use of tools.